Infinity Era

by JDPrime22

Chapter 61 – The Comeback Kids

Defeat was always a lingering demon. Tony Stark knew it well. Most of his life was pampered, offered to him, achieved with his superior intellect and his father’s gifts. He had known only defeat a handful of times, but they were great enough to rival even his masterful achievements. Losing his home to the Mandarin, allowing Novi Grad to be destroyed and all the lives lost because of it, killing the Avengers over the Accords, and now… reality set in.

He almost died. Thanos, the same man—the same monster—who had been torturing him for six years could have easily ended him. Just by closing his fist. Just like that. Him and… Twilight. All previous failures and fears were minuscule, they were nothing compared to that grim and dreaded thought plastered and refusing to vanquish Stark’s other thoughts. A small part of him always believed they could get out of any situation unscathed—or at least alive. Ultron, the Accords, they were nothing. They made it out because they fought together, as a team. Nothing could bring that down.

Thanos made it perfectly clear that none of that meant jack shit.

He made it clear that they—despite all of their achievements, all of their victories, all of their strength—that they were nothing compared to him. Even Twilight, with her friends, they were still no match for him. Tony and Twilight together… no match. With the Guardians of the Galaxy, with New York’s Defenders, with the Punisher, with a blue, alien girl of all things, and a Sorcerer Supreme… no match.

Stephen Strange felt particularly ill about that defeat.

All his life he knew very little about what it was like to lose. He lost his little sister Donna at a young age, failed to save her from drowning, but other than that the majority of his life was nothing but success. Victory after victory, acquiring his M.D. and Ph.D. at the same time at medical school, allowing him to become one of the top neurosurgeons in New York. After the crash, after losing his hands… perhaps there was a time Stephen could recall feeling truly at odds with himself. Feeling truly and totally defeated. It was only thanks to the Masters of the Mystic Arts did he find his place in the world again, and now that position… was more important than ever.

The Time Stone had been threatened. Thanos had proven that he was a capable foe, powerful enough to be able to control more than one Infinity Stone at once, dangerous enough to be able to withstand not only him, but the Avengers, the Guardians, the Defenders, and the Elements of Harmony. And completely kick their asses while doing so.

But they shouldn’t feel defeated, because they stopped him. They stopped Thanos from acquiring the Mind Stone. Yet they didn’t celebrate such victories. The underlying, wrenching feeling of defeat, of a kind they had never experienced before, being completely and utterly overpowered by someone so much more powerful than them… was there. It was real.

Everyone knew it.

Everyone and everypony.

Doctor Strange saw it all.

The suffering, the agony, the crying, the tears, the blood, the bruises, the beaten and the weary all scattered about, trying to push onwards but only failing to their human—or non-human—characteristics. Everyone expressed pain. Everyone could get hurt. But the ponies… they hurt. They hurt the most of all. Simple scrapes, cuts, bruises and limps from the likes of the Avengers, the Guardians, and even the Defenders, but the ponies were different. Strange couldn’t blame them.

They had never experienced such forms of depravity, of chaos, of world-breaking power and rage the likes of which Thanos was clearly capable of. They tried to show strength, tried to simply stand and walk, but it was nothing. Failure. Defeat. Loss. Everything they felt and believed were. Twilight Sparkle could barely stand, her friends Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy trying to keep her awake and alive. Sunset was busy tending to Starlight’s wound just around her horn, trying to stop the bleeding and failing at that. Rainbow and Applejack tended to their injuries, eyes watery and teeth clenched as they prodded the large cuts and bruises pockmarked on their bodies. Even Stark found trouble staying on his feet, Parker having to pick him back up every now and again.

Then there was Rarity, watching it all with the biggest eyes Strange had ever seen grace a pony. Staring at them but seeing nothing. Trying to breathe but only breathing fear. Trying to live but only living in that entrapment.

Doctor Strange tried to delve deeper into that, but stopped when came seven individuals from down the hall. More ponies, some he had never seen nor met. They came across as that of a higher authority, looking from Peter Quill and his Guardians leaning against the wall and one another for support with barely a wavering glance. They turned to the Defenders, sending the same glance their way before finally settling on the Avengers.

And who were with them.

“Twilight!” the pony with the long, white beard exclaimed, practically galloping forward towards the Alicorn. He wore blue robes and an erected, colorful hat resembling that of a clichéd wizard more than anything. Strange took a particular interest in him, watching as the remaining six individuals galloped or trotted right behind him, eventually stopping just in front of Princess Twilight and the Avengers she stood with.

Barely lifting her head, Twilight’s broken features almost lit up when she saw them approach her. “Star Swirl!” she exclaimed just as well, cringing as a wave of pain flushed through her, more blood seeping down her nostrils. Pinkie and Fluttershy remained close by her side, turning to Star Swirl as he held out his hoof to the Alicorn, to which she managed to take.

Managing her breathing, Twilight lifted her gaze once more, smiling weakly to the remaining ponies with Star Swirl. “Pillars…” she greeted them. Rockhoof, Stygian, Mistmane, Flash Magnus, Somnambula, and Make Meadowbrook offered helpful smiles to the Alicorn, all of which falling when she coughed up a helping of crimson into her free foreleg. Turning back to Star Swirl holding her hoof and keeping her standing, Twilight forced a smile. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank us just yet,” Star Swirl told her, finally observing the remaining Avengers that stood behind Twilight and her friends. He turned back to Twilight, stared into her bloodshot eyes, at her broken snout, at the blood and bruises painted on her face. “What happened out there?”

“Pillars?” Stephen asked, several eyes finally taking notice to the seven new faces. Quill and the Guardians cast them a waning glance, sighing before returning to themselves. The Defenders didn’t even look. None of them paid much attention to anything except themselves. Murdock always had his ears open, though. Frank acted like they didn’t even exist, finding interest only in his injuries. The remaining Avengers seemed to be the only people taking notice to the Pillars, all their eyes on them.

Facing away from Princess Twilight momentarily, Star Swirl the Bearded and his compatriots turned instead to Doctor Strange and his allies. Tony Stark leaning on Peter Parker, James Rhodes and Thor standing awkwardly, all silent as the near-ancient unicorn stepped forth to them. To Strange. The two of them took the moment to analyze one another, no words exchanged, just wandering eyes and furrowing brows. The two minds, the two wizards, seemed to be at odds just by each other’s presence, trying to deduce who looked more ridiculous. Star Swirl wasn’t alone, the remaining Pillars right behind him. The remaining Avengers stepped up behind Strange, the two sides meeting at last.

Snorting softly, feeling the presence of his allies behind him, Star Swirl held up his hoof to himself. “We are the Pillars of Old Equestria, some of Equestria’s greatest defenders. Myself, Star Swirl the Bearded, and my allies,” his hoof waved across to the remaining ponies by his side and behind him. “Mistmane, Flash Magnus, Mage Meadowbrook, Rockhoof, Somnambula, and Stygian. And you are?”

Not even going to attempt to remember all of their ridiculous names, Stephen just nodded, a thin line that could barely be identified as a smile gracing his lips. “Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts,” he replied with a firm nod, turning over to the four who stood with him. “This is Tony Stark and his fellow Avengers, Earth’s greatest defenders. It’s a pleasure.”

Star Swirl nodded to them, a few smiles from the likes of Meadowbrook and Mistmane. “Mystic Arts, hm?” Star Swirl inquired, rubbing a hoof down his long, pearly-white beard. “How very interesting…”

“The Bearded, huh?” Strange retorted, chuckling weakly. “Gotta wonder how you got that name.”

Behind him, Stark just rolled his eyes, clutching onto his abdomen as he leaned against the wall.

He didn’t think anyone caught that, but Star Swirl did, the unicorn acknowledging their impatience. “Certainly tales for another time. Unfortunately, due to Princess Twilight’s severe injuries, I don’t think we can acquire an accurate description of what happened in the Badlands. None of her friends seem capable of recounting those events either.”

Twilight gently took a seat against the hallway wall, still cringing as Pinkie and Fluttershy soothed her, tending to her wounds as best as they could. Her ragged breathing was joined only by the sounds of suffering and sniffles amongst the other wounded mares. Applejack, Starlight, and Rainbow Dash specifically tried to keep things down to a minimum, but they couldn’t ignore the cries of their body. No matter how hard they tried to. Sunset gently rubbed the back of Rarity’s mane—the fashionista still appearing as lost as a missing puppy—looking over to Twilight and the rest of the girls, seeing the same amount of suffering shared amongst them. Those eyes turned to Star Swirl, the two unicorns casting a glance of shared understanding between one another.

“So, perhaps you can offer some insight, Doctor Strange,” Star Swirl exclaimed.

“First things first,” Tony interrupted, several heads shifting in his direction. Managing to stand on his own without Parker’s help, hand resting over his abdomen, Stark grunted and pushed away from Peter, assuring him without even saying a word. What he did say was: “Where’s Vision?”

“The Vision is in safe hooves,” Meadowbrook answered, earning several sighs of relief from the Avengers, Strange as well. “He’s currently with the princesses in the War Room, though perhaps a hospital bed would be a far more suitable environment for him. As well as the rest of you…”

Her uneasy eyes shifted downwards to Stark’s abdomen, his blood-covered palm shielding what could be a dangerous or even fatal laceration. She gulped softly, that gentle gaze of hers meeting back with Tony’s. They quickly turned to the God of Thunder when his booming voice erupted in the empty hallways. Save for them.

“Why?” Thor asked. “What happened?”

“We were hoping we could ask that ourselves,” Flash Magnus replied.

A painful cry broke out. Nearly everyone turned to see Danny Rand get his shoulder popped back into place thanks to Luke Cage. The remaining Defenders were silent, cared for themselves, cast no one a second glance. Jessica sat on the floor, back to the wall, with the worst scowl ever plastered on her face. Blood fell from her forehead, her eyes low. Murdock was quiet, stared straight ahead, breathed softly and just listened.

That was how things were, shared amongst even the strongest Avengers and greatest Guardians. The aching feeling of defeat was still as ripe as ever before, since they stepped foot out of the Badlands. No one could say a word, no one could express any other feeling than they already had. Everything was laid bare in the Badlands, the deepest secrets and greatest fears expelled for all to hear. And no one could say another word than that. The tension was so thick it choked them of air, keeping them quiet, unable to speak.

Doctor Strange sighed, almost closing his eyes. When he spoke, the unsettling silence seemed to cause the Pillars to flinch, turning back to the Sorcerer Supreme. “His name is Thanos. I won’t go into much detail, but all you need to know is that he wants half the universe dead. We just witnessed that ideology firsthand in the Badlands.”

“The universe?” Mistmane questioned. Strange could only nod, several others doing the same. Several Avengers in particular, even some form of movement from the Defenders. Even the Guardians started to eavesdrop on the conversation.

“Oh, my…” Meadowbrook gasped, hoof pressed just over her racing heart.

While the Pillars were still trying to decipher how anyone could even bring about such death and destruction in the first place, one among them asked what was on all of their minds. “How is such genocide even possible?” Stygian asked.

“He can achieve that with what’s called the Infinity Stones,” Stephen explained, pointing to his own forehead. “Our friend, the Vision, has one of those Stones embedded right in his forehead.”

“Infinity Stones…?” Star Swirl repeated, rubbing his beard once again. A mineral—possibly several—capable of bringing about genocide at a universal scale was something completely unheard of to the ancient unicorn. It terrified most ponies—his fellow Pillars and Twilight’s friends to name a few—but intrigued him more so. “How interesting… What else happened?”

“Other than Thanos, we were seemingly ambushed by a cluster of… giant… snakes of all things.”

“Snakes,” Rockhoof interrupted, stamping his massive hoof into the solid marble, making the ground tremble slightly. “And of the volcano?”

“It’s gone,” Stark grumbled. “Erupted.”

The Pillars began to speak in secret, hushed whispers between themselves. Star Swirl sighed, the others with him fearing the worst, knowing the inevitable conclusion. Uneasy glances were shared between them, shushing once Star Swirl began to speak. “It is just as we feared. Doctor Strange, you and your allies must deal with this… ‘Thanos’ while we will deal with the serpents.”

Strange raised a curious brow. “Why? What’s their importance in all of this?”

“An old foe, I’m afraid,” Star Swirl replied. Unbeknownst to him, Twilight Sparkle’s ear twitched when he said those words… An old foe. She slowly lifted her head, lips slightly parted as she forced her gaze to the left, watching and listening the conversation unfold between the Pillars and the Avengers. She took particular care to listen to Star Swirl’s words.

Star Swirl waved his hoof out, saying, “Nothing us ponies cannot handle. With the Elements of Harmony safe, there is no power on this planet that can hope to stand against us. We will defeat our old foe just as we have before. Nothing to it.”

Somewhat interested on the idea of the “Elements of Harmony” and their purpose, Strange kept the idea close to heart and mind and nodded regardless. “Well, all right. Guess that leaves just us,” Stephen said, turning back to the rest of the Avengers. “What do you say we head back to Earth and—”

“Also…”

Every head in the hallway shifted back to the Pillars. Doctor Strange slowly faced forward once again, his brow furrowing to the Pegasus who interrupted him. Flash cleared his throat. “Princess Celestia and Luna wanted to let you know that the invasion on Earth is in full-force, and the one here on Equus has halted for the time being. It seems all is quiet on the Equestrian front.”

That… was certainly a game-changer.

The tides of war had shifted, and in a way Strange nor Stark nor anyone could have really expected. Quill, Gamora, and Mantis all appeared somewhat shaken at that information, the remaining Guardians keeping their hardened frowns clear as day. The Defenders remained adamant, although still appearing taken aback by the news nonetheless. Castle shared the same fate, as did Nebula. As for the Avengers, they remained uncertain. The ponies looked to them for a reaction, for a plan, for a means of knowing how to fight back and get out of any situation, just like they had before.

And when they finally responded… when he finally responded, they clearly weren’t expecting it.

“We can’t bring Vision to Earth,” Tony Stark said.

No one was.

“What?” Strange growled, whipping back to face Tony. He was seen leaning against the wall for support, Peter on his left just in case he needed help walking. The remaining Avengers were in the same boat, as were the mares, all eyes shifting and all silence falling on the Iron Man. Twilight, especially, was almost shocked to hear his suggestion.

“You’ve seen what Thanos can do… we all have,” Stark continued, clearly focusing his tone towards Strange. “If we bring him somewhere Thanos’ forces are completely surrounding, then we’re basically signing his death certificate. We were lucky no innocent lives were in the Badlands, but you see… what Thanos is capable of. If we bring Vision to Earth, he’ll have all eyes on that planet. He will not stop until that Stone is out of Vision’s head.”

“I-I’m a little confused on your logic, Stark,” Stephen retorted, eyes shifting in his direction. “What, are you saying we leave Vision here, nearly defenseless, while the rest of us go to Earth?!”

“Stop putting words in my mouth, Doc,” Stark suddenly barked, stepping forth and nearly butting heads with the sorcerer. “Canterlot looks pretty well-defended, huh? Celestia and Luna… two ponies who have the power to move the sun and the moon… holding a shield over this entire city. And last time I checked Thanos has no idea where to look for Vision. He doesn’t know where Canterlot is, so therefore he doesn’t know where Vision is. All of his forces are focused on Earth. So, we all go to Earth… we bring Thanos’ attention to Earth… we recuperate, recover… and take the fight to him!”

Silence. Utter silence. The two stared each other down, both bloodied, beaten, and bruised, but both standing tall and intimidating, trying to push the other down by sheer force of will and voice. Neither crumbled. Stark and Strange eyed one another for several seconds more, Tony finally ending it with, “Doctor… do you concur?”

And to everyone’s shock…

“All right, Stark,” Stephen finally replied with small nod. “We get back to Earth, and you need to get the remaining Avengers back together. I’ll warn Wong and the rest of Masters of the Mystic Arts in the meantime.”

“What do you mean?” Rhodes asked.

Strange turned around to James, but more so to face the other Avengers when he articulated himself. “Time Stone’s been threatened. I need to check on it back in Kamar-Taj,” he explained. Stepping aside from the rest of the group, gaining enough space for him to crack his knuckles and ready himself, Strange continued. “When Thanos comes for the Stone… and he will come for it… I’ll open a portal, take Thanos somewhere he can’t hurt anyone, and we’ll all stop Thanos before he has the chance to take it. Sound like a plan?”

He twisted his neck back, eyes landing on Stark and his team, waiting for some form of a response. Stark kept one hand on his healing abdomen, the other against the wall, eyes to the floor, trying to think. He turned back to them, to his team. Peter pursed his lips and shook his head. James was nearly the same, looking to Stark and nodding. Thor offered one firm nod to Tony. Just one that spoke volumes.

“It’s not much, pretty much everything can go wrong, but… it’s all we got,” Tony replied.

“It’s all we need,” Strange said, turning from Stark to the remaining members of their team. Whatever they could call their “team”. None of them, not even Stephen felt comfortable pushing that name upon them. “Everyone pick yourselves up! Get ready to move! We’re heading back home!”

As he finished with those words, Strange shot out his hands and started to form a portal from the Sling Ring. With some effort, the portal was finally birthed, spewing orange sparks across the marble floor of Canterlot Castle’s hallways. The Pillars were slightly taken by surprise from such odd forms of magic being performed before them. Star Swirl, as still the wondering mind as he ever once was, just took it all in with keen interest, remaining silent for the following events to bypass.

“Thor, go pick up Banner and your brother,” Stark said without even looking at him.

Thor snorted a chuckle. “You trust him already, Stark?”

Tony shook his head. “Just… get them.”

No time for merriment and games. Thor took the hint just from the tone of his voice, his smile crumbling fast and his expression hardening. He simply nodded in response. “Very well.”

As Thor made his escape down the hallway, asking Somnambula where Loki and Banner were before he did so, that left the remaining Avengers, Guardians, and Defenders alone with the eight mares and seven Pillars. Nothing was too sweet. Nothing was too sad. Short goodbyes were given, Avengers assuring ponies that they would return when things started to cool down. In the meantime, the ponies in turn promised to keep Vision safe in Canterlot. A few hugs, not too hard, everyone minding their own injuries.

Naturally, Quill led the Guardians of the Galaxy to the portal first of all, slipping right through the Avengers and mares as he did so. Almost with revitalized energy, like he just couldn’t wait to leave. Rocket, Groot, Drax, Nebula, and Mantis were the first ones in the portal, followed by Rhodes and Frank Castle. Tony and Parker remained momentarily, bent low, speaking with Twilight over personal matters. Then Quill stopped. Just on Strange’s left, pausing to turn when he heard that voice call out…

“Gamora…”

In response to her name, Gamora stopped where she was, just right behind Quill. Together, the two of them slowly spun around to face the inevitable. To hear the unexpected. To experience the unwanted. Especially Gamora.

Especially when Sunset Shimmer stood before them. She stood awkwardly behind both Gamora and Quill, almost losing her train of thought when both turned to her. Even some other eyes in the hall turned her way, something she wasn’t expecting nor wanted for what she was going to say. Despite that, Sunset took in a deep breath, held it in, and slowly eased it out. A tip from Twilight. Always helped.

Not this time.

Shaking her head regardless, Sunset began without even looking at her. “I… I-I…” she stumbled, another deep breath, some recollection, then began again. “I… saw what Thanos did to your world… to your parents. If you’re wondering, it’s all the geode; it’s magic allows me to… do that when I touch somepony… or someone in this case.”

Her golden hoof barely graced the red necklace, Gamora’s eyes rising back up to meet the unicorn’s.

“I just want to tell you that I’m sorry,” Sunset forced out, finally finding the courage to meet Gamora’s eyes. She needed it. Both of them did, to know either were willing to meet each other and see the truth in their statements, see the look in their eyes, and know they were both willing to lay it all down and hold nothing back. Surprisingly enough, it seemed to work, Sunset already growing more confident just by holding Gamora’s painful stare. Her eyes burned red, both of theirs’ did, at the mention of Gamora’s parents.

It only grew worse over time, that horrible, sickening dread left to pester and rot in Sunset’s head. “I can’t imagine… losing my parents… or living the life you were forced to. I understand it must be difficult, trying to turn away from a life you once lived, trying to push down old pains… and they still try to come back. I-I just want you to know… that you’ll always have friends here looking out for you.”

Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Starlight Glimmer all forced smiles to the Zehoberei. They didn’t really look forced, despite the injuries they all suffered, the terror they all experienced, the dread of Thanos still lingering over them. They still found a reason to smile, despite the pain. And Gamora… found a reason to accept that.

While the idea of Sunset digging up her past and learning of her parents was still hard to grasp, she eventually let that thought slide, knowing that Sunset knew too much already to stop her. The truth was already out there, another one of many that came from the fiercest woman in the galaxy.

And the most cursed.

“Thank you.”

It was all she could say. All she could offer them. Then she turned around with Peter Quill and stepped into the portal.

Sunset’s smile slowly deflated the moment she heard the scream.

It was quiet, like a whisper, like something only she could hear because nopony else seemed to react to it. Furrowing her brow at that, Sunset’s head fell down to her geode, a slight twinkle in her eyes when she finally saw it: the geode softly glowing, softly emanating the quiet squeals that no one but her could hear. Then it slowly dimmed, became quiet once more. Not a peep.

Sunset lifted her head and they were gone. Gamora, Peter, and the rest of the Guardians… all gone through the portal back to Earth. However, right before she stepped into the swirling orange, Stephen stopped her, saying, “About the Soul Stone—”

“I’ll tell you soon,” Gamora whispered in response, casting Strange one last stare before entering the vortex. Then she was gone. Then the light from Sunset’s geode died.

Then Thor declared, “Final haul!”

Everypony and everyone turned accordingly to the King of Asgard. With him strode Loki and Bruce Banner, Spike fluttering next to them. The four of them almost broke apart when Spike’s eyes landed on Twilight, the young dragon taking off with such speed it could rival that of even Rainbow Dash. Banner as well took towards Stark, noticing his injuries and already questioning how he received them. That left Thor and Loki, the two hopping through Strange’s portal—after Thor gave his goodbyes of course—much to Loki’s dismay and reluctance to be anywhere near Strange’s magic.

As Spike reunited with Twilight, practically tackling the Alicorn in a hug, Bruce caught up with Tony and Parker. “What happened?” Banner asked, widened eyes zipping up and down as he analyzed Stark’s cuts and injuries.

“We’ll explain everything back at the facility. Come on,” Tony said, Peter having to walk by his side just in case he collapsed. Stark held his own relatively well, only pausing just at the face of the portal.

They looked back one last time, to them. The eight mares came together, Twilight holding Spike, gazing to Stark and Peter with uncertainty in her eyes. Several ponies shared her expression, many others trying to put on brace faces, forced smiles. All masks trying to hide the pain. Tony would lie if he wasn’t trying to do the same thing.

Peter lifted his free palm in what could barely be identified as a wave. Then he and Stark were gone, alongside the rest of the Avengers.

The last ones in the portal were the Defenders and Stephen Strange himself. The Sorcerer Supreme sent one last look to Twilight and the girls, staring momentarily, more so on Rarity and Pinkie Pie. He nodded, an unknown look in his eyes that held something else. Knew something else. The orange sparks finally died and the vortex closed.

And all was quiet on the Equestrian front.

Twilight Sparkle stared at it a moment longer. While the rest of her friends slowly turned back to their own injuries, their own selves, and to one another, there were still those lingering eyes. Star Swirl and the Pillars were a few of those eyes, still latched to the wall where the portal once was, almost expecting it to return for a second.

Wincing, Twilight pulled Spike off of her, saying, “Easy there, Spike. Still not feeling too well.”

Breathing had become a challenge, as if a piercing pressure was placed on her lungs. That dreaded thought and conclusion alone only assured Twilight of one of Tony’s many responses to her, how she definitely needed some medical assistance. Peter Parker’s response to that also held weight, how they all needed medical. She wiped her snout and felt nothing, the area around her snout growing numb. Not good. Definitely needed some medical and fast.

“We… we saw the smoke all the way from Canterlot!” Spike cried, the Alicorn finally fully facing the young dragon. Spike, for the first time, finally took in Twilight’s state. Her wings and coat were disheveled and burnt, her mane and tail sharing the same fate. Dried and new blood painted her face, lips, and forelegs, a red in her eyes that just didn’t seem to go away. Her snout was angled awkwardly, Spike only fearing the worst for it. Bruises, cuts, and other wounds were present, like she had just been in the worst fight of her life. None of her friends were any better.

“Twilight… what happened out there?” Spike asked.

She didn’t know.

She didn’t know if she had the strength to say it, the strength to move her mouth up and down, a type of strength her body desperately needed to rebuild. She didn’t know if she could describe it in its fullest, only experiencing a mere portion of the type of horror seen in the Badlands. She didn’t know everypony else’s pains, sufferings, agonies, thoughts, worries, fears, or whatever else that plagued them. She didn’t know a lot of what had just happened to her, or her friends, or her world.

What just happened was something even Twilight didn’t know if she could explain.

She needed answers.

“Star Swirl…”

He turned appropriately to the Princess of Friendship, he and the rest of the Pillars of Old Equestria. They watched, he watched, everypony watched as she approached him steadily, limping with every step. Stopping mere feet before Star Swirl the Bearded, Twilight forced her neck up and her eyes forward, meeting Star Swirl’s and refusing to look anywhere else, refusing to turn away until she got an answer. Until she knew…

“What do you know about Typhon?”